Speling it out
by kate882
Summary: Kise and Kuroko have a conversation about Kuroko quitting the team, which turns into a conversation about Kise's feelings for Kuroko. Feelings that Kise apparently has to spell out for him.


"Kurokocchi!" Kuroko only had a moment to prepare himself before Kise collided with him, knocking them both over when the added weight caused Kuroko to lose his balance. Kise didn't seem to mind, and simply smiled down at Kuroko from his new position on top of him. "I've been looking for you all week. You haven't been at practice at all." Kise said with a slight pout, but there was actual worry in his eyes.

"That's because I quit the team. I thought Akashi-kun would have told you. I suppose he figured there was no point since the school year is almost over." Kuroko replied, squirming a little until he managed to get out from under Kise so that they were sitting next to each other on the grass in front of the school.

Kise tilted his head at Kuroko, clearly confused. "Quit the team?" He repeated slowly, smile completely gone now. "But . . . why would you do that? There's only a few weeks left."

Kuroko shook his head. He didn't want to talk about it. He wasn't even sure where to start. Everything had been building up for so long and finally came crashing down around him at the championship game. Losing Aomine, Akashi no longer being Akashi, the whole team drifting apart, and what they had done to his childhood friend. He couldn't handle it anymore. Not even for just a few weeks. Being able to look at Aomine, if Aomine actually bothered to show up, and not seeing the same person who was supposed to be his best friend, thinking about that time next to the river and the look on Aomine's face and the words that came out of his mouth, it hurt. It hurt to watch all of them together but not. And every time he looked at Akashi and saw the gold and red eyes he was reminded of how much had changed, and of what Akashi had done at the championship game. What was winning worth if it hurt all of them so much? If it took everything away from him and the people he cared about?

"Is it – is it because of Aominecchi?" Kise asked hesitantly, not sure if it was safe to bring that up.

Kuroko sighed. "Not entirely, but things with Aomine-kun certainly do contribute. He doesn't need me anymore, so who are my passes even for? You guys don't need me on the team anymore, so I'm not sure why you care that I quit."

Something sparked in Kise's eyes that looked a lot like anger, and it wasn't something that Kuroko was used to seeing in him. "Did Aominecchi tell you that?" Kuroko's silence just made the anger clearer. "He doesn't know what he's talking about! You shouldn't listen to anything he says right now. He's been nothing but an asshole these past few months, and I knew it was hurting you, but I didn't know he would actually say something like that to you. Do you want me to talk to him?" Kuroko got the feeling it wouldn't just be talking if he said yes.

"Please don't. It doesn't matter. Can you honestly tell me that the team actually needs me to win?" Kuroko asked.

That seemed to draw Kise up short, but not for long. Almost nothing could ever really get Kise to shut up for a long period of time. "That doesn't mean you can't help. They could win without me too, but I didn't quit."

"This team didn't take everything from you." Kuroko wasn't even sure why he said it.

"I wouldn't say that." Kise replied. Kuroko's eyebrows raised and he waited for Kise to elaborate. "I've been good at everything I do for as long as I can remember. I'm a quick learner, that's how I copy moves. Aominecchi was the reason I joined the basketball team. I wanted something that could hold my interest, but nothing else had before because I became so much better than everyone else at it so quickly. So, I guess I kind of understand what Aominecchi is going through now. But . . . I made friends on this team. I'm not used to that."

"You have lots of friends, Kise-kun." Kuroko said with a slight frown.

"No, I have lots of people who like me. People who call me when they need an extra guy on their team, or when they want someone to hook up with, or someone to get them close to some celebrity that I know through modeling. There's a difference. You guys didn't just like me because of my looks or how good I was at a sport. I mean, clearly I wouldn't have gotten to be friends with all of you if I wasn't good at basketball, but if it was just that you wouldn't have talked to me outside of practice. But we were all actually friends. You guys didn't want anything from me when you invited me to go get ice cream with you, or come over to watch a movie, or go to the mall or anything like that. You guys just did it because we were friends. And now we don't do any of that stuff, and all of my friends are sad all the time and it hurts to see all of you like this. Especially you, Kurokocchi. This team gave me the first real friends I've had in a long time, but it's also taking them away from me."

"You act different around us." Kuroko told him after a moment to consider what Kise had said.

"Huh? Do I?" Kise asked, sounding surprised by Kuroko's observation.

Kuroko leveled him with an unimpressed look. "Well, I've certainly never seen you knock anyone else over just to hug them, but someday I'm going to get a concussion if I continue to associate with you considering how often you do it to me."

Kise waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, but that's different. I'm in love with you. You didn't say just you, you said us. How do I act different around the rest of the team?"

"I wish you wouldn't joke around like that when we are trying to have a serious conversation." Kuroko said with a sigh. "I just meant that you aren't as distant with us. You're always surrounded by people outside of practice, so you can't give any of them much individual attention, so it just seems like a lot of fake smiles and not you being you. I mean, you do that to us a lot too sometimes, but we get to see the real you more often, I think."

Kise was frowning at him, which wasn't typical for him at all. Kuroko had half been expecting to be engulfed into another too tight hug while Kise cooed at him about Kuroko watching him outside of practice and how Kuroko should come and say hi to him next time. "Wait, back up, Kurokocchi. Where was I joking around?" Kise asked him seriously.

"When you said you loved me. The joke is getting old, Kise-kun."

Kise looked a bit horrified. "Kurokocchi . . . I've been telling you I love you for nearly two years."

"Yes, I know that. That's why the joke is getting old. Although, it really wasn't funny to start with. It's not nice to lead people on like that."

"You're right; it's not funny!" Kise exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation before running them through his hair in a frustrated gesture. "That's because it's not supposed to be! Kurokocchi, I've been getting rejected by you for two years . . . and you didn't even know you were doing it. You thought I was the asshole who jokes around about feelings and leads people on."

He put his hands on Kuroko's shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. "Kuroko Tetsuya, I have been in love with you since that time when you were still showing me the ropes of being on the team. You scared the shit out of me by coming out of nowhere and telling me that if I was just planning to quit in a week like all the other sports I wasn't worth your time and could get out of the gym, but that if I was actually interested in playing you would do your best to teach me anything you could. I told you that I wanted to be trained by Aominecchi and you said that was too bad and that I was stuck with you and that you weren't thrilled about it either. And then you showed me your basketball and you were breathtaking. But I could never compare to Aominecchi when it came to your affection, and I understood that, but I couldn't keep myself from telling you that I love you because I wanted so badly for that to change things. The first time I told you, I remember you just saying 'That's nice, Kise-kun, but we have practice.' And you thought I was joking this whole time? Kurokocchi, I love you so much that it hurts sometimes, and it's been tearing me apart to see you as sad as you've been lately, and to see you hating basketball when I still remember the look on your face as you showed it to me and brought me to love it almost as much as I love you."

Kise took in the wide eyes and light blush on Kuroko's face before he decided to take a chance because he needed Kuroko to know that he was serious. "And my God, I've been wanting to do this for way too long." He cupped Kuroko's face in his hands and leaned down to press their lips together. It was a short kiss because he didn't want to pressure Kuroko; he just wanted him to understand, since apparently he hadn't before when Kise upfront told him. Several times. He pulled back and looked at Kuroko who was sporting an even darker blush now.

Kuroko decided he didn't like being seen like this. He moved so that he was practically in Kise's lap to hide his face against the blond's chest so that Kise couldn't see the blush on his face.

"So, now that you know I'm not joking, can I get your reply?" Kise asked. He wasn't really sure what to do with his hands. He wanted to wrap his arms around Kuroko or maybe run his fingers through Kuroko's hair, but he wasn't sure if he should. For all he knew Kuroko really was just using him as a shield for his face at the moment, and the closeness didn't mean he was allowed to touch. So, his hands just kind of hovered over Kuroko uncertainly.

"I . . . don't know if I'm in a good place for a relationship right now. I'm still trying to sort out my feelings over what's been happening lately with the team, and we're about to leave middle school and go to different high schools." Kuroko said, hesitantly looking up from Kise's chest. "But if you could give me some time, and wouldn't mind dating someone going to a different school, then maybe we could try something later." He suggested.

Kise gave Kuroko a small smile, and reached out to brush a lock of blue hair out of his face. "Of course. Take all the time you need. I've waited two years, I can wait some more."

And wait he did, because it wasn't until after the Winter Cup that Kuroko finally brought the subject up again. Kise and Kuroko's teams were having a practice match, but before that Kuroko approached him while they were warming up.

"If you are still interested, I would like to go on a date with you tonight." He said.

Kise's jaw dropped a little in shock, before a smile that could put the sun to shame lit up his face. He picked Kuroko up and spun him again, catching the attention of the players around them. "Yes, of course I'm still interested, Kurokocchi!"

"Kise-kun, put me down please." Kuroko protested, struggling in Kise's arms and looking uncomfortable with having all eyes on him.

"Right, sorry." Kise didn't look sorry. He was too busy beaming at Kuroko as he put him down to be sorry.

"We can work out the details after my team wins to figure out a time and place good for both of us." Kuroko told him with a barely there smile.

"Oh~ Confident. If you're so sure that you're going to win, can I at least get a good luck kiss?" Kise teased. He wasn't expecting Kuroko to stand up on his tip toes and press a kiss to his cheek. This time he was the one blushing as he watched Kuroko walk back over to his team, not even paying attention to the stares and exclamations of surprise coming from the other players.


End file.
